About Us

The Garden Study Club of Hinsdale began when daughters of members of the Hinsdale Garden Club founded their own club, called the Junior Garden Club of Hinsdale, on February 29, 1929. In 1933, the name was changed to The Garden Study Club of Hinsdale. From its inception the Garden Study Club has been committed to beautification of the Village of Hinsdale. In 1939, the Club planted trees at the old junior high school. In 1959, the Trees for Tomorrow programwas started as a program to replace diseased parkway trees in Hinsdale. This program continues today.

In the years that followed, the Club donated funds for projects like planting of Crabapple trees along the South side of the train tracks, landscaping the new junior high school, planting opposite the Post Office, and landscaping the Village Hall and the Library entrance court. The Club also created a nature study course for children at The Morton Arboretum.
 

In 1963, the Club undertook the task of assisting Chicago Housing Project residents in the cleanup of their streets and the beautification of front yards and parkways in the city. Within three years this effort proved so successful that Mayor Richard J. Daley assigned the task to the Chicago Housing Authority.

In the late 1960’s, the club assumed the responsibility of planting and maintaining the grounds at Graue Mill. The Club continues to beautify Graue Mill by creating and donating a large holiday wreath with greens collected from our members’ gardens. This wreath is displayed on the Mill annually during the holiday season.

In 1987, the Club members planned and planted The Victorian Kitchen Garden at the Hinsdale History Museum, 15 S. Clay Street. The Club continues to maintain the garden and has a committee devoted to doing so. The Club and many members have donated plants, the fence, the arbor, and countless hours of gardening time to this lovely garden, which is a great source of pride for us.

Since 1959, The Garden Study Club of Hinsdale has donated over $64,000 for the beautification of Hinsdale. Since 2000, we have made donations for the Trees for Tomorrow program, a new sprinkling system for the Victorian Kitchen Garden, landscaping at the Wellness House, and scholarships at the University of Illinois. Our most recent project was the donation of flowering trees that were planted in 2015, 2017, and 2019 along Hinsdale Avenue. The varieties of donated trees will beautify this land near the train tracks for years to come.